Wisbech Town’s Jonny Pearce bidding for European Walking Football Championships glory after heading up Scotland over-50 national team

Wisbech’s Jonny Pearce is hoping to lead his players to victory in the European Walking Football Championships after being asked to head up a national team.

Currently manager of both Wisbech Walking Football Team and the Nomads (in the Northern Premier League for the Eastern Counties), he can now add the role of Scotland’s over 50s Walking Football manager to his CV.

That’s as well as being physio for Wisbech Town Football Club.

And if all goes well in the European Championships, due to be held in Wales from July 11-19, he’ll have his sights on leading the team to the World Cup in 2021, rumoured to be in Barcelona.

“The game is growing and growing,” said the 40-year-old dad-of-three, who lives in Sutton Bridge.

He has daughters Jasleigh (16) and Amelie (4), who has began playing at Wisbech St Mary, and a son Billie-Joe (14).

“I first got involved in walking football as a way to become fitter,” he explained.

“I was under the impression it was grey-haired old men tottering about on their Zimmer frames, kicking a football around, and I thought that is not for me.”

But he quickly realised that was not the case at all and after his first session at the Hudson Leisure Centre, in Wisbech, he was hooked.

“Anyone can play in the public sessions,” he said, “we’ve even had teenagers turning up. But I was too young to play in the team.”

And when the previous manager of the Wisbech Walking Football Team departed, Jonny, who also teaches to young learners in Spalding for the county council, was asked by the players if he’d take over the reins.

He’s since led the team from success to success and then went on to head up the Nomads, a spin-off from Stamford, Boston, Wisbech and Norwich, featuring their top players.

So he was delighted to get the call asking if he’d lead the Scottish team from its secretary Steve Morgan.

The next step will be picking the players to form the squad to play in the European Championships.

“It’s very exciting,” said Jonny, “and there’s the World Cup, which is rumoured to be in Barcelona. Hopefully I can keep the job for that long!

“I’ve asked Ben Baylis from Wisbech Town Walking Football Club to join me as assistant manager.”

Jonny said walking football has also been great for his mental health.

“We have people playing who have had a heart bypass, a kidney removed and it has helped me with my own mental health which came from my time in the army.”

Jonny served with the infantry in the Royal Anglian Regiment for 12 years, with tours in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, before getting a medical discharge in 2010.

Wisbech Town Walking Football Team trains at the Thomas Clarkson Academy on Wednesdays from 6-7pm and at Wisbech Town Football Club on Sundays from 10.30am until midday.

Jonny added: “We don’t have any ladies yet but they can play with the men and if we have enough we will put together a women’s team.”

For more information, you can contact Jonny on 07871 767341.